1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for securing a weaving reed, hereafter reed, to the batten beam of a weaving machine, the reed comprising an upper profiled bar, in particular an upper U-channel, a lower profiled bar, in particular a lower U-channel, to be secured to the batten beam, and reed dents mounted in-between the channels.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to affix the lower U-channel profiled bar of a reed by a clamp, for instance by a key, to a batten beam. However it has been observed that at high weaving rates, i.e. of the order of 1,000 or more filling insertions per minute, that the reed dents may break in the vicinity of the lower U-channel profiled bar.
It is known to reinforce one or both ends of the reed with solid steel bars which are mounted between the upper and lower U-channels in relation to the reed dents and parallel to them. Such a reinforcing bar may be straight or be bent several times. When such a reinforcing bar is situated on the filling insertion side of the reed, difficulties are encountered in locating the main air jet nozzles and a cutter for the fillings, which should be located directly at the fabric selvage or at the reed. If such a reinforcing bar is mounted on the opposite reed side, then it will hamper the installation of a filling detector or of a filling stretcher, which also should be mounted directly at the fabric""s side selvage or at the reed. In many cases this leads to a fabric having relatively wide waste edges. Moreover there may be streaks at the fabric edge in the zone of a solid-steel reinforcing bar. Regardless, at high weaving rates, such a reinforcing bar may fail to prevent the reed dents from breaking at the lower U-channel.
The objective of the invention is to create a device of the initially cited kind to substantially reduce the danger of the reed dents breaking.
This problem is solved in that the upper profiled bar of the reed is secured, at least in its end region, to the batten beam by a connecting brace element running substantially in the reed""s longitudinal direction, against displacements in said longitudinal direction relative to the beam.
The invention offers the feature that the reed, in particular the upper profiled bar, and the reed dents shall not oscillate in the longitudinal direction of the reed. As a result the danger of reed dent rupture in the vicinity of the lower profiled bar already is substantially reduced.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the connection element shall be flexible transversely of the reed. Consequently the connection brace element will not restrict the reed dent deformation transversely to the reed""s longitudinal direction at beat up against the fabric""s edge, and thereby the reed dents are able to deform uniformly at beatup. This feature generally precludes fabric streaks. Also the danger of reed dent rupture in the vicinity of the lower profiled bar caused by beatup stresses is substantially reduced.
In a preferred embodiment, the connecting brace element is a metal blade affixed both to the upper profiled bar of the reed and at a distance from the end of the reed to the batten beam. In an advantageous design, the blade is made of steel and its thickness transversely to the reed is about 2 mm, its height parallel to the reed is about 15 mm and its length is approximately 100 to 200 mm. Such a blade will not bend at the stresses encountered, and longitudinal reed displacements are substantially prevented. Transverse displacements however are allowed and as a result the danger of forming streaks in the fabric is reduced.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a support holding the connecting brace element is mounted on the batten beam in a direction along an extension of the reed. As a result the connecting element is connected in simple manner to the batten beam while spaced from the reed. As regards an airjet loom, at least one main jet nozzle shall be mounted appropriately on this support. When the connecting element is mounted opposite the insertion side, then appropriately a filling detector and/or a filling stretcher shall be mounted on the said support. As a result, this support also can be used to mount operationally required components and the total number of additional parts is very low.
The invention also contemplates a method for bracing a reed against longitudinal movement at its upper end.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be evident from the description of the embodiments shown in the drawing and in the sub-claims.